Boiler-flue clean



(No Model.)

H. L. HILDRETH.

BOILBR FLUE CLEANER. No. 574,422. Patented JaLILJ 1897.

@hilight l'iElt'RY L. HILDETH, OF4 SGINAW., llliCHIGAlfl.

connatre c CLEANER.

srncnca'rron forming part of Letters raient No. transe, dated January@13er.4

' imitation met April 2s, 189e'. scalino. 589,36 7. ou model.)

` .T @ZZ whom, it may concern: W

Be it known that 1, HENRY L.v HILDRETH, of the city and county ofSaginaw and State of Michigan, have'invented an Improvement y. inBoiler-Tube Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has, reference to boiler-tube cleaners; and it consists oflcertain improve-- ments fully set forthinthe following specifixo cationand shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The object of my. invention is to provide a` boiler-tube cleaner` whichshall cause the scale to be cut orscorecl ofi from the tube and blownout. In carrying out my invention I provide a hollow head containing ascrew or propeller piyoted therein and'v adapted to be rotated TUyJaf'jetotweaiuor'ainsupplled, preferably, z'o through a tubularhandle. lThe said propel- 1er or screw rotates a shaft carrying jointedone or more arms provided with suitable cutters adapted to be thrown outby centrifugal force, so as to'scrape the inner Walls of the tube'. Inoperation the jet of steam causes the screw-or propeller to rotaterapidly, and

this causes the. cutters to be thrown against the inner surface ofthetubes, so as to cut or scrape them. The loosened scale is then blown 3othrough and4 out of the tube by the steam or air. To insure perfectdislodgment of the Scale, the head .may be further provided with steelscraping-blades, which,"if the head be turned, are caused to scrape theinterior walls ofthetube. Theirfunction,however,islnore particularlyto-center the head Within the tube, so that the rotating cutters inay beperl mitted to act more .uniformly upon the scale. My invention will bebetter understood by 40 reference to the drawings, in which" Figure l isa side clcvation'of my improved scraper, showing it applied to a boiler,the tubes of which are in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of my improvedtube scraper or cleaner, and Fig. 3 is an endview ofsame. y A is the head, and is open upon one end and closed uponthe other, and to the latter or closed end is attached the tubular rodor han- 5o die B,. into the end of which ste-ain may be blown hy ailexible pipe l or in any other suitable-manner. The head A is provided.der the action of the steam-jets.

with the springs upon its 'outer surface, which guide the head centrallywithin the tube K and make 'it adjustable to tubes of to direct thesteam in jets against suitable'-.

propellers or screws within the head.

D are propellers or screwswithin the head A, and have their-shaftEjournaled in suit-A able bearings kiF, so as to freely revolve un Uponthe end of the shaft E is a transverse arm G, to the ends of which arepivoted loose arms Il, connected by aspring J. The arms II havejournals', upon-which' are loosely supported saw` or disk shaped cuttersI, preferably formed with teeth, as shown'. In practice I prefer to usethese cutters in pairs to' insure a greater cutting action. orpropellers D are not rotating, the cutters T are drawn inward by thespring J, so as not to touch the walls of the tube.

The operation will now he understood. The head is inserted within thetube, and as the steam, water, or air isr forced through the screw orpropeller D is put into rapid rotation. with great rapidity, and underthe centrifugal' action thereby produced the arms il' in ove outwardagainst the action of the spring .I to

vWhen Vthe screws This action causes 'the shaft E to rotate bringtheeutters or Scrapers l into contact Y with the interior walls oftheftube, so that the said cutters press against the interior wallsofthe tube while rotating,.`and at the saine time by manipulation of thetubular handle B they are moved Ylongitudinallyl through the tube.' VItwill be understood,

therefore, that their action upon the scaleor '4 'coating of the tube'will be in the line of the screw having an exceedingly fine-pitch, andthus permit the most thorough abradlngnaction upon the coating of theinner surface of the tube. By siinply'rotating the handle B and the headA all the scale or matter which is loosened but not absolutely detachedmay KGO be readily scraped from the interior of the tube, and under theaction of the steam-jet wilibe forcedventirely through the tube, so

4that Whenthe scraper is removed the tube is lar .cutters or Scrapersvupon the ends of said perfectly cleaned. y 2 movable arms, springsarranged about the 65 I do not confine myseli'to. the mere detailsoutersurface of the tubular part for guiding `of construction, as it isevident that they may it centrally7 in the tube and acting as Scrapers,1: 5 be modified in various ways without departand means to supply blastto said head for ing from the essential features of. my invenlthepurposeof rotating the screw or propeller tion, .which comprehend a steam:actuated while the 'head is being moved throughthe 7o rotary "cuttercontrolled by a long handle tube to be cleaned. adapted to be movedthrough the tube to be 5. Inaboiler-tube scraper,the combination rocleaned. of a tubular head provided upon the outside Having flowdescribed my invention, what with centralizing-springs, a vapor-pipelead- Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters i ing into thetubular head and terminating in 75 Patent, is`- jets or nozzles, arotaryshaft journaled in the 1.' Inaboilertube scraper, the combinationhead and provided with a propeller or screw I5 yof acylindricalortubularhead having one end adapted to be rotated bythefjcts of vapor, a

closed and the other end open, longitudinal cross-head-fon the end ofthe shaft, and spring- Stlnngs secured at their. middle parts to thecontrolled' expansible cutters carried by and 8o Glitter surface ofthecylindrcal head and hav with the cross-head whereby the action ofingliheir free ends extending respectively forcentrifugal force movesthe cutters outward 2o ward and backward and bent outward to form whilebeing rotated with the shaft and screw. elastic supports substantiall'y7as shown, a G. Ina boiler-tube scrapenthe combination vaponsupply pipeleading intthe'closed end of a longitudinally-movable head orguiding- 85of the headand terminating in jets ornozzles, support, a tubular handlefor moving the y a rotary shaft carried by thehead, a propeller saidhead or support through the tube and ritter screw secured to the shaftand adapted to holding it against rotation, a rotary shaft pivbe rotatedby the jets of vapor, and an exoted within the head or support andadapted pansible cutter operated bythe rotary proto rotate under theaction of a vapor supplied 9o peller-shaft to scrape the interiorsurface of through the tubular handle, a, rotary movable the tube.`spring-controlled pivoted arm carried upon 3o 2. Inaboiler-tubescraper,the combination the forward end of the rotary shaft, and a of a tubularhead, a screw or propeller arpivoted cutter carried by the free endofthe ranged eloseto said head, a shaft journaled in rotary arm, the partsoperating in such man? 9 5 said head adaptedto be rotated by the screwner that the head or support contro-ls the lonor propeller, expansiblerotary cutters carried gitudinal movement of the rotary cutter and 3 5by and rotating relatively 'of the said shaft, a the rotating shaft,secures the rotary moves] rr lg to retract the cutters when at rest andment thereof. V

y means to supply 'steam or air to said head for 7. The combination ofthe head A, a tubnxoo the purpose of rotating the screw or propeller larhandle B for moving the same and the while the head is being movedthrough the nozzles or apertures'lll'. within the head, with 4o tube tobe cleaned. a rotary shaft E `havin g onc or more screws In aboiler-tube scraper, the combination or propellers D within the head andadapted of aA tubular head, a screw or propeller arto be acted upon bythe steam from' the noz 105 ranged close to said head, a shaft journaledzles or apertures, an expansible eutterearried in said head adapted tobe rotated by the upon the end of the shaft D and movable 45 screw orpropeller, expansible cutters carried outwardly by centrifugal force,and spring by and rotating with the said shaft consisting to hold thecutter against the action of cenof a transverse arm secured to theshaft, mov- A trifugal force. y, 1 [o 4 able arms held againstcentrifugal force by 8. The combination of the head A, a tubuspringspivoted to said transverse arm, circu lar handle B for moving the sameand the 5'0 larentters or Scrapers upon the ends `of said i nozzles orapertures M within the head, with. movable arms, and vmeans to supply ablast i a rotary shaft E having one or more screws to said head for thepurpose of rotating the or propellers D within the head and adapted 115screw or propeller while the head is being to be acted upon bythev steamfrorthe nozmoved through the tube to be cleaned. i zles or apertures,and an expansible cutter 55 4. In aboiler-tube scraper,the combinationcarried upon the end of the shaft D consistof a tubular head, a Vscrewor propeller aring of a transverse arm i-..piveted springranged close tosaid head, a shaft journaled actuated armslI, and rotary cutters I. 12olscrew or propelle1,eXp-nsible cutters carried hereunto set my hand. 6oby and rotating with the shaft consisting of HENRY L. IIILDRETII.

in said head adaptedto be rotated -by the In testimony of whichinvention I have a transverse arm secured to the shaft, movl Witnesses:`able arms held against centrifugal force by EZRA J. DEMoREs'r,springpivoted to said transverse arm, eircu- II. K. HOWRY.

